Belong to Me
by Lady Lioness
Summary: A Ranma and Akane fic. Um, I guess this is sort of an introspective on why their relationship is the way it is.


Belong To Me Author's Notes: The events described are all taken from the Manga. Three of the four events have not yet been translated, so spoiler warning is in effect. I took liberties with the last scene. With the exception of the last scene at the dojo, all of the quotes are taken from the translated manga. The site from where I obtained the quotes from the non-released manga is [Otaku X][1]. Enjoy.  
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Their eyes met...and the rest of the world fell away.  


_I knew you. Once, long before, you were part of me._  
_You loved me. I wanted you. We belonged together._  
_I know you still. I recognize you. I've been waiting for you. I've needed you._  
_I've been coming for you. Everything I've done, I've been getting ready for you. You're everything._  
_You're mine. I belong with you._  
_You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore._  


The electric shock faded as they stared. Suddenly, she realized where they were. She backed out of the door and leaned against it for a moment, trying to catch her breath. What had happened? He had seen her naked, that's what! Who the hell was he? She screamed and tore down the stairs.   


He sat in the tub for a moment, trying to recover. Oh, shit. This is not the way he wanted her to find out. He leapt out of the tub and dried himself off quickly. He could hear her scream and winced. He got dressed and went down the stairs. She was lifting a table over her head. He spared a moment to admire the fire in her eyes. Then he looked down at his feet and said,  


"Sorry about this."

  


He watched her as she yelled at him on the way to school. She was different from those he knew before. That made her special somehow. He wondered what it was exactly. It wasn't exactly like he had a lot of past experience. He just knew that she was different, more...more something. Suddenly, they reached the gates of the school and a huge crowd of boys tore towards them, shouting her name. He was taken aback. Why were they after her? He leapt up on the fence to watch, trying to figure out the hell was going on. Her sister shouted down at him, and in reply, he gestured. She responded,  


"Oh, she does this every morning."

  
A kind of anger rose in him. She had to deal with this every morning? Why did no one fight by her side? The anger was mixed with admiration as he watched her fight. She fought with honor and with grace. Her fire blazed high as she fought bravely. The two emotions twisted within him as he continued to watch. They became connected. Now whenever he particularly admired her, he'd insult her instead. It wasn't a conscious decision. Just one that was created in the heat of battle. Finally she was finished and he leapt down to be by her side. But still, there was a final challenger. His ego was in control, but he had already made an unconscious decision. No one was going to get the opportunity to hurt her. Not when he was there. He took the challenge.  


She watched him flip gracefully in the air and felt an odd sense of relief. This guy was fighting her battle, but it was okay. She had been fighting for so long, it was kind of nice to have someone else fight for her. And it wasn't even an effort for him. He was playing with his opponent, letting the guy underestimate him. But she knew better. It was all in his eyes. He was laughing, enjoying the challenge. What would it be like to have those eyes focused on her, filled with passion and caring? While she had thought he was a girl, he had been wonderful, laughing and joking with her. She had thought she found a kindred spirit. Yet then it turned out he was a guy. Perhaps he was still a kindred spirit. She watched him evade the skilled blows of his opponent and remembered how he had dodged her the night before. Deep inside, she admitted she would never be as good as him. But what if, what if they stood together, partners? He would protect her and she would take care of him. The way it was supposed to be. Doubt filled her as she questioned her ability to care for him as she wanted. As she questioned whether or not he'd be content with her. And then anger filled her as she became angry that he could cause her to doubt herself this way. So now, every time she doubted herself to be worthy of him, she became angry at him. When he provoked those doubts, she tried to hurt him back. It wasn't a conscious decision. Just one that was created in the heat of battle. But then the rain began to fall and he began to change. His father came out of nowhere and grabbed him. She followed, wanting to make sure he was all right. Thus began their first day.   


The days after were filled with bickering and insults. Anger was the only emotion they felt comfortable expressing. To show any other emotion carried with it the risk of ending up married by the end of the day. Anger was safe. Anger became their connection. A sort of pattern emerged. He would try to say something, it would re-enforce her doubts, she would grow angry and hit him with her mallet. And when she hit him, part of him knew she still cared. That kind of anger required a great cost of energy. That cost would only be paid if it was worth the effort. As long as she hit him, he knew that she considered him worth the effort. He didn't understand the reasons for the anger and he knew that it would grow old after a while, but for now, it was enough. She didn't know if he cared or not, although part of her believed he did. All she knew was that she was coming to expect him to be there. He was there when she awoke in the morning, he was there when she ate lunch, and he was there when she went to bed. That same part of her expected him to always be there. When her pet was missing, she went straight to him, almost certain that he would make things okay again. And he did.   


He stood on the ice, listening in disbelief as the jackass made his proclamination. Nobody was going to touch her, she belonged to him!   


"...Touch her and I'll KILL you!"

He could feel her astonished gaze on him, but he didn't care.   


_You belong to me. You always have. You always will._

  
The fire within him reached new heights. He grabbed her hands and launched into battle, using the flames to fuel him on. His fury became thick, like steel, creating a core of strength. And when they sent them into the Couple Cleaver, the steel melted, sending the strength flooding through his veins. It combined with the urgent need to protect her. He couldn't let her go. He'd never let her go.  


"...let me go!"

  
Why wouldn't he release her? If he didn't, he could get seriously hurt! She didn't care about herself, she just knew that if he got hurt because of her, she'd never forgive herself. He insulted her again, and her anger was provoked. She unconsciously gripped his hands tighter. She had just got him, he had just entered her life. She didn't want to think about what it would be like without him.  


_I've been waiting for you. I've needed you._

  
Fine, if he wouldn't let her go, she would fall with him. They were released into the air and everything seemed to happen so fast. He twisted his body, so he'd take the impact. Had to keep her safe. No! What was he doing? She felt the thud as he hit the wall and she landed next to him. He still held her hands. The announcer was saying something, but she was focused on him. He was so still. She called his name. He wasn't responding. Nonono! You can't leave me! Not yet! I just found you again! I can't lose you, not this soon. Don't leave me!   


_You belong to me. Don't leave me. I need you._

  


She collapsed on his chest, crying. He felt her warmth, it penetrated the fog that surrounded him. She was crying, she was in pain. He couldn't leave her, not when she was like this. He didn't think that he could ever leave her. He stood. Why was he standing? He was already hurt! She couldn't stand it if he got injured any worse. She poked him and he fell at her feet. Her pet wasn't worth this. Nothing was worth his pain. He had to stop this, she had to convince him. Her eyes were a deep brown and they were filled with concern for him. He stared up into them, trying to break through the shield of anger they always used. And as she squeezed his hand, just as he thought he could find the words, he felt a cold splash and he was plunged into darkness.   


It was his rival, again determined to take her away from him. The fire of anger rose high within him again. How dare he think that defeating him would weaken his claim on her? She was his. She would always be his, no matter who he lost to. But he wasn't about to start losing now. He battled among the icy rocks, determined to prove that he was the better man. Whenever he faltered, the memories of her eyes looking down at him, of her grace in battle, the press of her hand, gave him new strength. What were they doing? Didn't they know he was hurt already? She had to stop this. She flung an ice boulder at their heads. They gave her a combined manly disgruntled look and told her to butt out. She was flabbergasted. They told her to butt out? She attempted to stand, but slipped and felt herself falling into the icy water. She screamed his name.   


He rescued her. He always did. And she seemed to do nothing, but inflict pain on him. From her mallet attacks to her cooking. Now he had three other beautiful women chasing after him. All of them were much more accomplished than she was. Each of them could take better care of him than she could. But he was hers! Wasn't he? He never said, and even though part of her knew, she wanted to know for certain. But he never said. And as her doubts grew, so did her anger. Their fights grew more frequent and more intense. He didn't quite understand her fury. Deep within his soul, he knew that she was his and he was hers. That would never change. He didn't understand why she was jealous. It wasn't until she left him that he understood a little of what she was feeling.   


It may have been an old debt, but she still felt compelled to pay it. And the compulsion proved true. She was needed. She could provide comfort and care. What he had always mocked was appreciated here. Here, at last, was someone who loved her and who she could take care of. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't him. He watched her for awhile before approaching her. He had been in shock when she had left, had grown furious with her for abandoning him. They had to force him to go after her. He watched her for a while, saw the way she smiled at this new boy. This new boy had also saved her when she was a child. He felt a sense of gratitude mixed with jealously towards the newcomer. Gratitude for saving her, keeping her alive for him and jealously that someone else saved her. That was what he did. That was what he offered her. And now she was getting protection from someone else. It also sparked fear within him. If she didn't need him to protect her, what else did he have to offer her? For the first time, he understood a little what she had to put up, having three constant rivals. That first time, when she told him that she was staying, he felt like his heart had been crushed. The thought of returning without her, it provoked a paralyzing fear.   


_You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore._

He did the only thing he could do. He tried to find out why she was staying. He came to the conclusion that she was in love with this new boy. His heart continued breaking. Still, he had to protect her.   


"Risking your life for another man, I won't allow you to do that..."

  
But by the time he reached the conclusion that he would rather have her live with another man than put herself in danger, she had already left. He knew then that he loved her, when he thought he had lost her. He went after her, yet he was still too late. He watched her being plunged down through a pool of water. It was at that moment that everything crystalized.   


"Even if you love that stupid Shinnosuke at the risk of your life...I'll protect you!!"

As long as she was alive, nothing else mattered. Nothing.   


As the water closed over her head, she knew she was going to die. His name floated through her mind. If only he knew the truth, if only she had told him...now it was too late. But no, he had come again. He had saved her again. And then he was giving her up? He truly thought she could love another? 

_You're mine. I belong with you._

  
Yet there was no time. By the time she recovered, by the time she rushed to his side, he was gone, lost to her. Or so she thought. She managed to save him this time and then he saved her right back. Finally, the enemy was defeated and they were together again.  


She was coming back with him. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to promise. He never wanted to go through another time like that. It would be different now, he'd be different. He had been so worried that he lost her. It was the first time he admitted how empty his life would be without her. The first time he admitted to himself how much she meant to him. It was the first time they held hands.  


He had been so quiet. She wished she knew what he was thinking. Still, she was glad she was going back with him. This is where she belonged, by his side. When he reached back his hand, she stared at it for a few moments and then took it. This was all that mattered. Just the two of them and this connection between them. She felt a small thrill at the feel of his skin against hers. He had carried her numerous times, usually to protect her from one threat or another, but they had never simply touched before. It was a small reward for the awful time they had just experienced. She never wanted to feel like that again. She had almost lost him. She admitted to herself how much she needed him.   


It was supposed to be the beginning of something new. Yet it turned out to be only another step in their long journey. It continued on, the anger, the insults. Still, now, they were getting tired of it. They had been battling each other for so long, and deep inside, they knew they were meant to stand together, not on opposite sides. Something had to give. Something had to change. Yet the event that finally broke the pattern was something they had never wanted, never expected. She died.   


She had leapt from his pocket, blocking his body from Saffron's blast. He'd been frantic, and tried to get the water to cure her. Saffron resisted and he killed him. It was the first time he'd killed a living being, but it was done without thought. She was in danger. Nothing else mattered. Then he got the water and she turned back to normal. He was relieved, things would be fine again. Except her eyes were closed. And she wasn't breathing. He had been too late. He'd lost her.   


He refused to believe it at first. They had been through so much, defeated almost everything that stood in their way. She couldn't just leave him, she couldn't. He held her body in his arms. He tried to tell her what he'd always wanted to say. What had been in his heart from almost the first moment he saw her. What had been there since their souls had been created. He tried. But the grief overwhelmed him and his tears fell in hot bursts on her face. His throat closed. The only thing he could do was scream out her name. He had been sitting on a ledge. It occurred to him that all he'd have to do would be to fly off the ledge and then he'd be with her again. They'd be together. And then, then a miracle. She touched his face.  


It was an odd experience, looking down at yourself in the arms of the man who you loved. Did this mean she was dead? Was she supposed to go somewhere? But she couldn't leave, not yet. His grief was so strong, it was hurting her, even like this. She wanted to be able to do something. It wasn't fair. They had come so far and now she had to leave him. Tears ran down her face as she watched him struggle to tell her. She had always known he'd cared, but never this strongly. Never this much. The force of his love touched the love she had in her heart. It vibrated and bloomed. She couldn't leave him. Never, she could never leave him. And then he screamed. Kami-san, it hurt, hurt so much. Then she felt a tug and saw the bond. She followed it back to her body, followed it back to him. And then cradled close to his heart, she could have sworn he said he loved her. She was going to tell him she felt the same. She reached up to touch his face and he stared down at her in disbelief. They came together in a close embrace. It was one of the few times that they touched without anger involved. He said her name and she answered, reassuring him that she was still here.   


"I'm sorry...I could hear everything, but I couldn't move."

For obvious reasons, but she didn't tell him that. He would be feeling guilty enough as it was. He was frozen for a moment, and then enrupted into babblings. She waited for him to calm down, knowing that soon enough he'd tell her. But then, just as he seemed on the verge of speaking, the others arrived.  


He wasn't sure whether to be upset or happy. The arrival of the others had spared him from a potentially embarrassing scene. A scene, a voice whispered inside of him, that needed to happen. He had to tell her how he felt. He'd almost lost her, what, two, three times, now? And that wasn't counting the times that other people's interference almost destroyed their relationship. He had to tell her. But not now. Not when they were surrounded. Later, when they were alone and there wasn't so much pressure.   


She wanted to scream with frustration. He had been so close. The doubts that had plagued her for so long had been quieted. They were still there, but the almost certainity that he loved her was enough to keep them relatively silent. He would tell her. And she would tell him. Later.   


Perhaps that would have been enough. Perhaps this almost tragedy, had it been left alone, would have been enough to spur the young couple to admit how close they truly were. How much they needed each other.   


_You're mine. I belong with you._  
_You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore._  


Yet, while that would have been the fairy tale ending, real life doesn't quite work that way.   


Their fathers had forced another wedding upon them. They blackmailed her into doing it, with a barrel of the Nanniichuan water for him. She would have done it anyway. She loved him and she was nearly certain that he loved her. Nearly certain, until he denied it.  


"...You love me, don't you?"  
"Eh? Since when."  
"Because, while you were crying in Jusendou..."  
"I didn't say it!"  
"You almost said it!"  
"What, you wanna fight?"  


Her heart cracked in that moment. He was standing there, looking incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, his Wedding tuxedo, and he denied it. The old doubts came back, with renewed fevor. She was almost tempted not to tell him about the water. Yet she couldn't do that to him. And he left her, tearing down the stairs after the barrel. She followed him at a slower pace. This was supposed to be her wedding day. Supposed to be. As she reached the dojo, she could see the chaos that was enrupting. He was battling with the other cursed men to reach the water. And then his other fiancees had come bursting in, flinging bombs. One of them lobbed a bomb at her head, and she shrieked, ducking. It hit the wall behind her and exploded. The sound of her voice caught his attention and he tried to make his way towards her. But then, he could only watch helplessly as the old troll drank the entire barrel. Her heart ached for him, but she soon had worse things to worry about. The first bomb set the wall on fire and the other woman was heading for her. She prepared for a fight, even as she was asking herself why she'd want to fight for someone like him. The fire spread to the rafters and the smoke was getting to her lungs. She wanted badly to cough or flee the building, but her rival was still heading towards her. Then she felt strong arms come from behind and scoop her up. She struggled at first, but then was still. She was furious with him, yet she couldn't bring herself to push him away.   


He wanted desperately to look down at her to make sure she was all right. This scene was invoking a sense of deja vu within him. Yet the smoke was growing thicker and he had to get out of the building before he could check on her. He could feel her coughing, and he frowned. He never should have left her. He was going to have to apologize. After he took care of the ones who brought the bombs. He was still in a bit of shock over that. He knew the competition between the girls was intense, but he never thought that any of them...well, okay, he never thought that the other two were capable of this. He burst out into the fresh air. He bent carefully to the ground and sat Akane down, letting his eyes roam over her face. She had soot smudged on her cheeks and she was pale. She had looked so beautiful today, and look what his carelessness had did. Her eyes looked up to his and he ran a finger over her cheek, apologizing under his breath many, many times. She lifted her hand and grabbed his, squeezing it. She tried to speak, but her voice was hoarse. Her eyes told him instead that she forgave him. He looked around and saw the doctor moving through the crowds of people. Sirens in the background announced the presence of the fire department. He carefully scooped her up again and made his way over to the doctor. The doctor carefully examined her while he held her, refusing to let her go again. Finally, the doctor said she was only suffering from smoke inhalation. While the doctor was looking her over, he had been scanning the crowds. He saw the two who had destroyed his wedding, standing at the fringes.   


She tried to follow his gaze. When she figured out where he was staring, her heart broke a little more. Was he grateful to them? Then she saw the coldness in his eyes, felt the tension in his body. Her beloved was furious. She was glad. He brought her over to her family and reluctantly let her go. The ice in his eyes melted and he silently promised. She nodded. He stalked away, heading towards his other fiancees. They saw him coming, and silently retreated to the side of the house, away from the crowd. When he stood in front of them, he found that he could not speak at first.   


"Ran-chan, I'm so sorry."  
"Airen, Shampoo is too. Just could not let wedding happen."  


That did it. His eyes snapped up to theirs and his battle aura sprang up around him.  


"Don't call me that! Both of you! How dare you? What gives you the right to..."  


He struggled for control again, reminding himself that he didn't hit girls. Ukyo looked at his fists clenching at his side and realized how far she had gone.   


"Ran...Ranma, I'm really sorry. I thought they were forcing you into this. And when I saw the Nanniichuan barrel, well, I just assumed..."  
"So you thought it would be perfectly all right to start flinging around bombs? You could have hurt her! Not only did you destroy my wedding, but you could have hurt her!"  
"Airen no want to marry violent girl, he want to..."  


Shampoo trailed off as his battle aura flickered. The fury was congealing into hard rage. Neither of them had ever seen him like this before. He spoke again, his voice extremely cold.  


"Get out of here. And don't come back. For a very, very long time."  


With those last remarks, he spun on his heel and back to her. The two behind him stood motionless for a while as tears streamed down their face.   


Her father postponed the wedding indefinitely. She shot him a look and found him watching her. Both of them knew they needed to talk. That night, she heard a light tap on her window. Looking up from her desk, she saw him, hanging from the roof. She opened the window and he silently offered her a hand. She took it and he helped her climb up to the roof. She sat down and he sat next to her, not quite touching her, but close enough. They stared at the stars for awhile. Finally, he said,  


"Akane, about what you said earlier...I might not have said it then, and I can't say it now, but I promise, I will say it."  


She sighed and leaned back on her elbows, thinking.   


"Ranma?"  


He leaned back as well, turning his head to face her. 

"Yeah?"

She thought for a few seconds more, and then said,  


"Me too."  


He smiled. She smiled back.  


_I knew you. Once, long before, you were part of me._  
_You loved me. I wanted you. We belonged together. _  


There's an old Greek legend that says that humans were once created with two heads, four arms, four legs, and one Soul. Then they angered the Gods one day and Zeus threw down his lightening bolts, spliting the humans in half. Now the humans all had one head, two arms, two legs and a half of a Soul. They were fated to walk the Earth, searching for the other half of their Soul. In fairy tales and picture books, Soulmates always end up together. Yet in real life, it doesn't always work that way. A single event can be enough to turn a person's Path from their other half. It can be that simple. Yet, once they've found each other, no matter what life throws at them, Soulmates stay together. And nothing, whether it be God-sent, manmade, or even the Juskenyo cursed, can keep them apart.   


_You're mine. I belong with you._  
_You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore._  
_We belong together._  
_Soulmates._  


  
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